Coming to an End February 20, 2007

Here we are at the end of The Sound and the Fury, and what have we learned?  What has happened?  What were we supposed to get out of all of this?  I found the ending quite interesting.  The last part of this book was from Dilsey’s point of view; however, it was not him narrating the story.  Honestly, not a whole lot really happened in this part.  It was Easter Sunday, and they went to church.  After church Luster was driving to the graveyard, and decided to go the wrong way around the monument.  This sends Benjy into another episode.  Why does he do this?  Benjy’s lifestyle is very orderly.  He likes things done the way they’re supposed to be done.  He needs things done the way he is used to it.  When something happens out of order, he is completely thrown off, and he is sent into another episode.  As soon as Luster corrects himself in his direction, Benjy is yet again satisfied. 

 

 So, I have to ask myself this question; if this chapter is about Dilsey, why is it that the part about Benjy sticks out the most to me?  Why is this episode the most interesting part of this chapter?  I think the fact that it is so random, and crazy that it was grabbed my attention.  It made me wonder why this slightest change would make Benjy react like this.  Did it have significance, or was it just merely the idea that they were going the wrong way?  We can really see here that it does not take much to send Benjy into an episode.  However, I think there is definitely more behind why he went into his episode, but what that reason is I am not quite sure.

A Close Reading of The Sound and the Fury February 20, 2007

Page 22 – Quentin said, “Lift him up.”  Versh lifted me up.  “Drink this, Benjy.” Quentin said.  The glass was hot.  “Hush, now.”  Quentin said.  “Drink it.”  “Sassprilluh.”  T.P. said.  “Lemme drink it, Mr. Quentin.”  “You shut your mouth.” Versh said.  “Mr. Quentin wear you out.”  “Hold him, Versh.” Quentin said.  They held me.  It was hot on my chin and on my shirt.  “Drink.” Quentin said.  They held my head.  It was hot inside me, and I began again.  I was crying now, and something was happening inside me and I cried more, and they held me until it stopped happening.  Then I hushed. 

Benjy’s chapter, as we know, was the most difficult part of this book.  He was mentally retarded, and had very little understanding of what was going on around him.  Benjy really had no control over what went on with himself or those around him.  Whatever was happening, Benjy could not stop.  However, when something occurred that Benjy did not like, he would have a breakdown or an episode, and would cry or scream until everything was back to normal. 

 

In this passage in the beginning of this section, the boys are drinking.  They force Benjy to drink the “sassprilluh” to try and get him drink.  While this is happening we see Benjy going through his episode and freaking out.  We can see that Benjy is uncomfortable, but yet he has no control over what is going on at all.  This shows us a little more about Benjy’s character, and how bad his situation really is.  He cries while they are holding him and forcing the drink in his mouth, and he feels the discomfort of it going down his throat.  He can do nothing about this though.  He just sits there crying until they boys stop.  We can see that as soon as everything goes back to normal, and the boys finish with Benjy, that his episode is over, and he no longer remembers it. 

The Sound and the Fury Part 1 February 7, 2007

Well, what can I say about this?  This first chapter had a lot going on in it.  When we discussed the story in class I noticed that I caught some of the main parts, but there was also a whole bunch that I definitely just missed. Reading through the book, I did not know that Benjy was the narrator.  I had no idea how old any of the characters were either.  I was slowly starting to put some of the pieces together, but I knew I was missing something.  In reading the “cheat” way I started to put those pieces together slowly.  I realized that Benjy, Caddy, Quentin(1) and Jason were all siblings.  This helped me to understand a little bit more. Oh, and what is up with the obsession with Caddy?  That is just not right!  If I didn’t pick up on anything else, I definitely could not miss that point.  Throughout this whole chapter that was a lot of what they were talking about.  Caddy then loses her virginity and gets married and moves away.  Benjy is very saddened by that, and he waits for her to come back.  (Not realizing that she is not)In this chapter Quentin dies, but how?  And who is the other Quentin?  We know it is a female, but where did she come from?  Time to read and find out…